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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29967960">Beam me up</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudyjongho/pseuds/Cloudyjongho'>Cloudyjongho</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Fluff, Human Choi Jongho, M/M, Mermaids, Merman Park Seonghwa, Merpeople, mermans, short but sweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:48:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,813</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29967960</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudyjongho/pseuds/Cloudyjongho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seonghwa had never liked humans.</p><p>But why was he unable to take his eyes off the human that laid limply in his arms?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Jongho/Park Seonghwa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Beam me up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seonghwa had never really liked humans.</p><p>It wasn't like he met them a lot, no, but they were what his people fed on.</p><p>Humans were like fish to them — but the edible kind. Merpeople didn't eat any sea creatures, but since humans were humans, they were the best nutrition.</p><p>Seonghwa wrecked the ships with his people. The pathetic pieces of wood were always fragile under his fingers, it was easier to punch a hole to its wall than to play hide and seek with the whales. Which was very easy. You just hid under their stomach.</p><p>Humans weren't a luxury, but a necessity. Merpeople's favorite food, the best kind of food. Those who sailed on ships always had muscles, a lot of meat to eat. The flesh tasted tender, but was hard to chew. Fortunately merpeople had sharp, big teeth, that could be compared to a shark's.</p><p>Seonghwa was used to grabbing a screaming, flailing human and watching how they panicked, heads underwater — drowning, dying. He was used to dragging the body to home and eating every single bit of flesh away, fangs bloody. </p><p>He had never understood the concept of humanism — the small, small toes, for example. The awkward-looking knees, the ball-like heels. Why were they needed? It was all just less to eat, as the bones couldn't really be consumed in any ways.</p><p>Humans were selfish, always tormenting the seas, the oceans, killing the fish, ruining the water. Their big ships sailed across the seven seas, throwing out food waste and feces, as if the sea would forget them.</p><p>The sea never forgot.</p><p>So Seonghwa took immense pleasure to seeing humans suffer and try to get through the storms Zeus threw — the horrifying waves Poseidon gave. He loved seeing their cute little ships rot away, how a human fell over the edge and disappeared into the dark, angry ocean, only to be grabbed by a hungry merman.</p><p>They weren't kind or beautiful like humans thought. They could be. Their voices could attract anyone, like a siren. They could make themselves look like an ethereally beautiful, magnificent creature, but the moment they turned that flattery off, the ugly truth came out.</p><p>Humans were nothing but chunks of meat in the world of seas. Nothing but pathetic, fragile beings that liked to feel in control of everything.</p><p>Seonghwa found every single feature of theirs so strange and ugly — the fingers, the weirdly round ears, the lack of scales. The thighs, joints... </p><p>And the fact, that sea was something that could kill them in a second, but still, humans liked to challenge Poseidon. They knew they wouldn't be able to breathe. To swim for long enough. Those pathetic legs of their could never give them enough strength to swim more than one seamile at best. Seonghwa wondered, that just why would they endanger themselves like this?</p><p>Especially, when thousands of hungry mermans and mermaids waited for the opportunity to get them.</p><p>Seonghwa had never liked humans.</p><p>But why was he unable to take his eyes off the human that laid limply in his arms?</p><p>Seonghwa was frozen on his place, eyes strictly on the human, heart racing fast and tail moving franctically.</p><p>Everyone else was on their way to home, a dead human in their arms, while the pathetic excuse of a ship sank. But Seonghwa couldn't move.</p><p>Twenty meters under the surface, with the sun shining through the water, the human looked like the prettiest pearl there was.</p><p>His dark, long eyelashes rested against his sickly pale skin, eyes shut tightly. Purple color was evident on his lips that were slightly ajar, signifing, that the human was cold. And near to its death.</p><p>He had dark brown hair that floated around slightly, the lack of gravity playing its tricks on Seonghwa, and the boy, making him feel light, so Seonghwa grabbed him tighter.</p><p>The boy had put up quite a fight. He had kicked and tried to reach for the surface, but had been nothing against Seonghwa's strong tail. But now, Seonghwa was unable to continue home to feast on the boy's body.</p><p>Seonghwa watched with some fondness and curiosity as three bubbles of air left the boy's nose, his face looking calm, so deadly calm. </p><p>Seonghwa's heart jumped weirdly in his chest, changing its rhythm almost painfully, wanting to jump out. Seonghwa had never felt anything like that. It was all unnatural to him.</p><p>The boy was prettier than anything Seonghwa had ever seen. Even if he had always thought that humans were ugly, now he was struck.</p><p>The clock was ticking. He didn't know what to do.</p><p>Should he bring the boy back to home and keep him as a decoration? To watch him daily, make him a potrait? </p><p>No, the boy would be eaten the second Seonghwa left.</p><p>So he kicked his tail to move, craddling the boy against his chest, and started swimming as fast as he could.</p><p>Seonghwa was a strong, fast merman. While pressing the human's head against his chest to protect it against the current and the concrete-hard water coming straight at them, Seonghwa gritted his teeth together, attempting to swim faster. </p><p>He knew where he needed to go.</p><p>The bag made of seaweed that was tied around his waist hit his hip repeatedly, hard enough to bruise, but the fragile boy in his hands was more important.</p><p>He swam deeper, the ocean darkening out, black taking over faster and faster. The boy was limp, and Seonghwa was scared he would be late.</p><p>Swimming past a shark without even saying hi was something Seonghwa had never done, but now, he had only one goal in his mind. The human who was supposed to be ugly, the human Seonghwa was supposed to hate, needed to live.</p><p>Finally, seeing the cave he had been looking for, Seonghwa shot in, the muscles in his tail aching and burning. But he was there.</p><p>The upper part of the cave was weirdly blocked out of water. It had some air, some oxygen, that the boy needed.</p><p>Seonghwa stopped and lifted the boy up on the black rock-like surface of the cave, the human's head falling on the right side limply, body unmoving, pale, dead.</p><p>Seonghwa held his breath, keeping himself close to the boy and brushing his hair back in frustration. </p><p>He had to save the boy. He had to.</p><p>Seonghwa pulled himself as up as he could while having his tail under water, and he leaned closer to the boy's face, eyes trailing the wet face up and down, stopping at the plump, purple lips. </p><p>He pressed his lips against the boy's, breathing in, giving the human air. Seonghwa repeated that a few times, watching, how the human's chest rose each time he exhaled.</p><p>And suddenly, the boy jerked awake, body flinching awake, a gasp for air leaving the human's mouth before he turned to the side so his back faced Seonghwa, vomiting out saltwater.</p><p>Seonghwa watched, a bit scared of what was happening. Was the human supposed to do that?</p><p>The boy kept on coughing and vomiting water while gasping for air, his little body shivering and trembling. The white shirt and black pants clinged onto his body now that he wasn't surrounded by water.</p><p>The human still hadn't seen Seonghwa. That happened only when the boy was done vomiting, and turned back to the normal position.</p><p>"Who are you?" The boy yelled, flinching and scrambling backwards slightly, making Seonghwa chuckle. </p><p>He was so pretty.</p><p>The boy's toes were curled up, chest heaving and head slightly turned away from Seonghwa, as if protecting himself.</p><p>"You're absolutely fascinating," Seonghwa sighed, long gone the disgustment.</p><p>The boy eyed him for a while completely quietly, before he swallowed, adam's apple bobbling down and up again.</p><p>"Did you save me?" The boy asked.</p><p>Seonghwa nodded.<br/>"I did."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Seonghwa chuckled again, though looking for the answer. Why did he? What had he done that for?</p><p>"Because you're pretty," he decided to say.</p><p>The boy furrowed his brows before pulling his legs against his body.<br/>"What?"</p><p>Seonghwa shook his head.<br/>"I hate humans. But you're pretty." </p><p>The boy's cheeks had gotten some healthy color due to blood circulating in his veins again, but he also seemed to blush.</p><p>"Were you the reason why our ship sank?"</p><p>"Yeah. We were looking for food."</p><p>"Mermaids eat humans?" The boy asked, paling a shade or two.</p><p>Seonghwa tilted his head to left.<br/>"We do. I was supposed to eat you."</p><p>The boy fell quiet, clearly thinking of something, and straightened his legs. So Seonghwa busied himself with the boy's toes.</p><p>He reached forward, fingers touching the biggest toe curiously, making the boy yelp and pull his legs back.</p><p>"What are you doing?" He exclaimed.</p><p>"Fascinating." Seonghwa breathed out, eyeing the boy's knees. The knees he had always despised, but that now made perfect sense.</p><p>That seemed to make gears turn in the boy's head. </p><p>"I'm going to ask you straightforwadly now. Are you going to hurt me?"</p><p>Seonghwa fell quiet. He was very, very hungry. But why would've he used so much energy if he'd planned to eat him?</p><p>"No. I'm not. I saved you, I won't kill you." He said.</p><p>The boy was quiet for a moment, before he nodded firmly, inching himself closer.</p><p>"Curious?" Seonghwa asked, smiling a bit.</p><p>The boy didn't answer. He pulled himself even closer, peeking over Seonghwa's shoulder, looking for his tail.</p><p>The boy gasped.<br/>"You are a merman."</p><p>Seonghwa laughed and threw his head back.<br/>"Of course I am, what else could've I been? </p><p>The boy blushed some more. It was something Seonghwa learned to love.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>Seonghwa smiled, eyes trailing down the boy's body again.<br/>"You're very pretty." </p><p>"Thank you. You're not bad yourself." The boy answered.</p><p>"What's your name?" Seonghwa asked. </p><p>"Jongho."</p><p>"Well Jongho, I'm Seonghwa. Nice to meet you. I hope you don't think of me badly for almost eating you."</p><p>That made the boy, Jongho, laugh, showing Seonghwa a beautiful, beautiful smile, two rows of pearl-white teeth, and pink-ish gummies.</p><p>"Of course not. That would be very inconsiderate of me."</p><p>Seonghwa laughed, flicking his tail and splashing some water on Jongho. The boy squealed and laughed more.</p><p>Precious. That was the word Seonghwa's mind thought of. Jongho was absolutely precious, so precious, that Seonghwa wanted to press him against his chest and kiss his forehead.</p><p>"Where are we?" Jongho asked, looking around.</p><p>"In a cave over fifty meters under the surface of sea."</p><p>Jongho's jaw fell open.<br/>"That deep? How are my lungs and ears still okay?"</p><p>Seonghwa grimaced.<br/>"Probably because you were unconscious. Which is one of the concerns right now."</p><p>Jongho sighed.<br/>"Am I going to be stuck here?"</p><p>Seonghwa shook his head.<br/>"I will get you home, no matter what it takes."</p><p>Jongho smiled, and straightened his legs again, dipping them in the water. But Seonghwa was fast and grabbed his feet, bringing then up, and eyeing them curiously.</p><p>"Fascinating." He repeated again, his fingers trailing over the toes, the heel, up the leg to the knee.</p><p>Jongho smiled, running his hand through Seonghwa's hair and pushing it back, as it had fallen over his eyes.</p><p>It was like they had known for years.</p><p>"Speak for yourself. You have a tail."</p><p>Seonghwa smiled. <br/>"I do. Want to see?"</p><p>Jongho nodded, and watched how Seonghwa brought his tail up.</p><p>Jongho's fingers touched the scales carefully, something that Seonghwa had always hated. But now it only sent pleasure up his nerves. The adorable human made Seonghwa crazy.</p><p>"It's so beautiful," Jongho gasped.</p><p>"Thank you." He smiled, reaching for Jongho's hand.</p><p>The human reached for his, and laced their fingers together, smiling softly.</p><p>"I kissed you, earlier." Seonghwa said softly, somehow wanting to say it out loud.</p><p>Jongho hummed.<br/>"You did?"</p><p>Seonghwa smiled.<br/>"I was scared you would've died if I didn't give you air."</p><p>"You were scared for me?"</p><p>"I was. It's weird. I have never cared for humans, you are nothing but food. But you, Jongho, you made me feel afraid. Afraid I wouldn't be able to wake you up. Because I believe, that you deserve another chance to live."</p><p>Jongho smiled, rolling to his stomach to face Seonghwa, their faces close. Seonghwa's eyes trailed to Jongho's lips again, wanting to feel them against his again. </p><p>"What were you doing on the ship?" He asked, distracting himself from doing something the human might not like.</p><p>"I was just a stand-in there, since a friend of mine got sick." Jongho sighed.</p><p>Seonghwa hummed, tilting his head. Suddenly he felt bad.<br/>"Do you miss home?"</p><p>Jongho swallowed. <br/>"I do. It has been months since I last saw my parents."</p><p>Now it was Seonghwa's time to swallow.</p><p>He pushed his own, selfish thoughts back, as much as he wanted to keep the boy with him. It would be impossible to do, anyways. He was a merman, Jongho was a human. He couldn't breathe underwater, Seonghwa couldn't walk on land.</p><p>"Let's get you home, then." Seonghwa whispered, his voice slightly bitter.</p><p>Jongho's smile fell, but eyes filled up with hope.<br/>"I can get home?"</p><p>Seonghwa nodded.<br/>"I'll just keep you close and swim as fast as possible."</p><p>"Is that okay with you?" Jongho asked carefully.</p><p>Seonghwa smiled, a bit weakly. His heart was too weak.</p><p>"Yes. You're a human, Jongho. I'm a merman."</p><p>Jongho nodded, though hesitantly this time.</p><p>Seonghwa opened his arms for Jongho, who carefully dropped himself into the water, holding onto Seonghwa tightly.</p><p>They stared at each other for a moment, both quiet and calm. Jongho's legs wrapped around Seonghwa's middle, locking behind him, hands resting on Seonghwa's shoulders.</p><p>Seonghwa held Jongho gently, craddling him in his arms, pressing him close. </p><p>Then Jongho closed the gap between them, their lips meeting.</p><p>This time Jongho's lips were warm, not cold and purple — but lively and red. Seonghwa closed his eyes, inhaling shakily, but hold of Jongho tightening, moving his lips the tiniest bit, so slowly, so sensually, that Seonghwa's eyes watered up.</p><p>His heart was beating abnormally again, something that had happened too many times in such a short timespan. </p><p>Jongho's hands wrapped around his neck, their lips moving together, letting them both taste each other properly for the first and last time. </p><p>It was all done on impulse, something that definitely shouldn't have been done between a merman and a human, but Jongho's fragile body against Seonghwa's, the funny-looking knees and toes around Seonghwa's waist, the wild, erratic heartbeat of his own — Seonghwa was drunk on it.</p><p>They separated, breathing heavily.</p><p>"You are the prettiest pearl I have ever seen." Seonghwa whispered, to which Jongho answered by smiling and pressing his forehead against Seonghwa's.</p><p>But it was time. If Seonghwa held the human for one minute more, he wouldn't be able to go.</p><p>So, by slowly pushing Jongho lower so he could craddle the human's head against his own chest, he kissed Jongho's forehead for the last time.</p><p>"Hold your breath. I'll be quick."</p><p>Jongho nodded, his hold of Seonghwa tightening.</p><p>And like a lightning bolt, Seonghwa sped off, pulling them both underwater. Jongho's nails sank into Seonghwa's skin, but it didn't matter — Seonghwa was swimming as fast as he could, trying to get Jongho up safely.</p><p>He made sure to not to go up too quickly so Jongho's lungs were okay — but at the same time, he tried to be as fast as possible.</p><p>Seonghwa had two minutes, max, to get far away.</p><p>His tail worked harder than it had ever done. The speed was unimaginable, something humans could never accomplish underwater.</p><p>The sea was calm, not stormy, for their luck. Seonghwa felt Jongho's body jerk, as if he was trying to suppress the want to inhale.</p><p>So Seonghwa decided they were far enough. </p><p>They reached the surface, and Jongho gasped for air. Fortunately, they had gotten to an iland.</p><p>Seonghwa smiled at Jongho's face, which was all round eyes and gaping mouth.</p><p>"Liked that?" He asked.</p><p>"No. Never again. Felt like pure torture." Jongho said, making Seonghwa laugh.</p><p>The approached the beach with a lazy pace, until the merman couldn't go closer.</p><p>Jongho let go of Seonghwa, pulling himself on a rock, that would lead him to the beach.</p><p>He turned around, though, and smiled.<br/>"Thank you."</p><p>Seonghwa smiled, wanting to say something back. But instead, he reached into the seaweed bag around his waist, and pulled out the prettiest, one-of-a-kind pearl, before giving it to Jongho.</p><p>"Remember me." Seonghwa whispered.</p><p>Jongho took the pearl, pressing it against his chest.<br/>"I will. You remember me, too."</p><p>Seonghwa smiled, and nodded.<br/>"I will. Goodbye, pretty human."</p><p>Without looking back, he turned around, not wanting to cause more pain to himself. Seonghwa began swimming away, swallowing the lump in his throat, and hoping, that Jongho would remember him until the day he died.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! And thank you for reading!</p><p>This is something I drabbled half-assedly while watching TV. It’s definitely not as high-quality as I’m capable of writing, but, I still decided to publish it.</p><p>I write long Jongho x Seonghwa fics — 6 chapters, 25-30k words. My 9th one is still going on currently. That’s why I decided to write some oneshots around Jongho! While waiting for it to finish hahahah.</p><p>I wrote and published a Hongjoong x Jongho oneshot already, and a Yeosang x Jongho is coming up as I have time to finish it!🥰 </p><p>I hope you enjoyed this short fic! Thank you!<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/cloudyjjongie?s=21">my twitter</a> and <a href="https://curiouscat.qa/Cloudyjongho">my curiouscat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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